Welcome to our Essential Rewards Class, friends! This class will be where we break down exactly how to save money with Young Living! Now, let's start by getting to know each other.

The BEST thing about Young Living is that it’s so much more than oils. We are ALL on a journey to take charge of our health, whether we know it or not. Some of us are just getting started and trying to figure out where to go next, and some of us have been working on our health + wellness for a while.

Wherever you fall on this scale, Young Living has everything you need! YL is all about wellness, purpose, and abundance in every single area of your life. And on this team, we’re about inspiring as many people as possible to begin THEIR own health journey as well. Our bodies were created to function above the wellness line, and YL gives us the tools we need to help our bodies do just that. But, it's up to us to use those tools available.For so many of us, myself included, getting started with the Premium Starter Kit was a HUGE step. But the kit is just the beginning! There is so much more to YL than oils.

Once I grabbed my kit and started looking around Virtual Office and the product catalog, I realized how many incredible tools Young Living has, and how much of what I buy already (toothpaste, laundry soap, makeup, cleaning products, vitamins, etc.) I could just STOP buying from Target and start buying from Young Living instead! It cost us a little more upfront to do this as a family, but the benefit of getting products that we know aren’t filled with junk was worth it to me!

When I buy through Young Living, I know that I'm getting plant-based, all-natural products. This is what we like to call “transfer buying." You’re just spending money in a different place, and on things that are so much healthier for your family. Here’s just a peek at "all the things" I no longer buy at the market and big stores having replaced them with Young Living products instead:

If you’re a friend here who has joined Essential Rewards already, what is something else that you’ve ditched and switched thanks to Essential Rewards that isn’t on this list!?

Okay, first things first. What in the world IS Essential Rewards any way? Essential Rewards is a monthly wellness subscription box!

Each month, you customize your shipment of wellness goodies according to what YOU want and need. It’s even better than those other monthly subscription boxes because it is customizable!! That’s one of the main reasons why we’re so obsessed with the program. It is meant to be exactly what YOU want.

Here are the key benefits:

--> We know that once you sign up for ER, you’ll be hooked, but for ease of mind, know you can cancel at any time. All you have to do is call YL customer service and you're on your merry way. (1-800-371-3515 )

--> The program is flexible as to which day your order processes. You have to process one order a month, but you can wait until payday, or have it go first day of the month. In fact, you can change your order up to 11:59PM on the day that it processes!

--> You only buy what you want or need. One month, you can stock up on staples like Lavender, Lemon and Thieves Cleaner, and the next, you can grab things you've never tried before.

--> You only have to spend 50 PV (basically $50) minimum each month. That's a bottle of Lavender, a bottle of Thieves Cleaner, and a lip balm. Easy peasy!

--> Plus you get money back. That’s probably my favorite part 😉

Let’s break that down next (the money-back part!), but for now, tell us why you love ER or what your cart includes this month!

Now you might be wondering, “I saw you said this program will save me money….how?!” Let me break it down!

First things first, you receive a percentage of points back on purchases you make on your Essential Rewards program.

Yep. When you’re on ER, and you place your order through ER, you’ll get points BACK on that purchase. After you have been on ER for three months, you can redeem those points for free goodies!

On months 1-3, you’ll receive 10% back in points. So, if you spend 100PV, you get 10% back. That's 10 dollars that can be redeemed via Quick Order on a product you want to try! Amazing, right?!

Well, what if I told you that on months 4-24 you’ll receive 20% back in points (DOLLARS!) and months 25+ you’ll receive 25% back in points (DOLLARS)?!

Are you doing the math? That means if you place a 100PV ($100) order in months 4-24 on ER, you get back 20 points ($20) back. Months 25+ = 25 points ($25) back! THE BEST!

There are some other ways you can save money/get free goodies on this program, so let’s keep on breaking them down in the next post. But for now, tell us what you got last with your points or what you're saving up for next!

Another reason to join ER is because YL is going to send you loyalty gifts at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months!

If you are in the US market, here's what you get (let us know if you're somewhere else and we'll share info on your location in comments):

3 mo's - 5ml bottle of Peppermint Vitality oil!

6 mo's - 5ml bottle of Thieves Vitality!

9 mo's - 15ml Tea Tree!!

And at 12 months, you’ll get an exclusive 5ml Loyalty Blend specially formulated by Gary Young! Every year after that, you'll receive a new loyalty blend created just for ER members!

Now, who has received a Loyalty Gift so far? Did you get the year anniversary gift? What was your favorite? Also, see link below for an awesome video in which Gary Young talks about the care that went into crafting the first year's special loyalty blend!

The next reason to be on Essential Rewards is that when you’re on ER, you have access to EXCLUSIVE kits that are only available on ER, and those kits give you extra savings. ER members have the ability to order three specialty ER kits as additional options OR create a custom order each month ala carte but the ER exclusive kits rock too!

The first two specialty ER kits: Thieves and NingXia Red, which are 15%-25% OFF!! We drink our Ningxia EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. So this is the best way to order it. We’ve also switched out all of our cleaning and household products with Thieves, so you know I stock up on the Thieves ER kit every couple months too!

The NingXia Red ER Kit comes with: -A 4-pack of 750ml bottles of NingXia Red-1 box of 2oz NingXia Red singles packets (30 count)All for $187! Ordering these products through Quick Order would be $217.75. Plus you’re going to make at least 10% back in points on that order AND be eligible for the monthly freebies YL offers that we’ll break down in this class too!......................................The Thieves ER kit comes with:-15ml Thieves EO-Thieves aromabright toothpaste-2, 14oz bottles of Thieves household cleaner-Thieves mouthwash-2 bottles Thieves foaming hand soap-2 bottles Thieves waterless hand purifier-2 bottles Thieves sprayYou can get that whole kit for $118.50 vs. ordering everything via Quick Order and paying $156.50. That’s a savings of 25%, y'all! Plus you’re going to make at least 10% back in points on that order (then 20%, then 25%!) AND be eligible for the monthly freebies YL offers that we’ll break down soon too!......................................

You also get access to buy the Everyday Oils ER kit too! It’s a little cheaper and comes with roller fitments!

......................................So which ER specialty kit will you try first or will you customize your own order each month?!

Every. Single. Month. Young Living offers us different promotions and they are always AMAZING! They sometimes have a theme or correspond to the season, but they ALWAYS add extra value to our order. Some promos are exclusive to just Essential Rewards, some are open to everyone. Being on Essential Rewards allows you to max out your freebies AND your savings.

Essential Rewards opens up an exclusive promo tier at 100PV. That means when you place a qualifying order of 100PV, you'll get something for free! As you move up the tiers, you'll get Essential Rewards exclusive items + more free goodies!

The tiers are as follows for Essential Rewards members:-100PV-190PV-250PV-300PV

You can always find the monthly promotions under "member resources" in your Virtual Office or search for "promos" in Orange Blossoms or see below in comments for this month's freebies! Who's getting them? All or some?

Young Living offers a YL Choice discounted shipping rate on Essential Rewards orders, which is another way for ER members to save money while getting points back on ER orders that are already 24% off with your YL membership! Reduced shipping options start at $5.99 and vary in price based on weight and shipping method. Learn more about shipping here: https://bit.ly/2HgeXfP

But, before you click on that link, did you know that Young Living ALSO offers an incredible Amazon Prime-like shipping program that is exclusive to friends on Essential Rewards in the US?! It’s called YL GO and it’s changed our lives already!

#2 YL GO PLUS - For $129 annually, you get a whopping THIRTY SIX TOTAL SHIPMENTS ANNUALLY - 36!!! While that may sound like a lot, let me break it down for you...

+ 12 ER orders ship FREE (1/month)

+ 2 extra FREE SHIPPING orders via Quick Order each month.

HELLO!!!! Grab some extra product, redeem those ER points and ship the whole blessed order FOR FREE... or drop ship a gift to a friend, or use this when a sale pops up!

For both options, overnight shipping upgrade is $10 per order. (YOU GUYS that is insane. If you had a big order you needed in a pinch and were not on YLGO, you could pay $20-$50 for overnight shipping.)

......................................HOW TO ENROLL IN YL GO:

Remember, this is only for those members enrolled in Essential Rewards! Head to www.youngliving.com/ylgo. If you're not yet on ER, signup for that first, and YL Go options will be offered in the signup process!

Who's on YL GO? Are you seeing the savings? Jon and I are both on it and we are saving a ton!

All you have to do to enroll in ER is to log into your virtual office and click on “Essential Rewards” on the left-hand side of your screen. From there, the website will walk you through how to enroll. It’s easy and it only takes a couple minutes.

If you’re having trouble, you can also call Customer Service at 1-800-375-3515 and they’ll set it up for you or you can hop on the live chat!

YOU can pick an order date that works best for you. Maybe you don’t get paid until the 15th of every month, so you want to schedule your date for the 16th. Your date is entirely up to you AND you have the option of changing your date each month, if you want. So in the event that you get a bonus or you see your favorite product is back in stock, and you want to order early, you can totally do that with no penalty. It’s flexible!

Then, load up your ER cart with whatever you want that month. Each month, you have until 11:59pm MT on your order processing date to customize your box of wellness goodies!

*The low monthly minimum requirement is 50 PV.

The majority of the consumable items Young Living offers are valued at the same number of PV points as the dollar amount (10PV = $10), but not all, so pay attention as you’re adding items on to your order!

Some non-consumable items like diffusers are valued at lower PV points than dollar amount (Desert Mist Diffuser, for example, is 38.25PV but costs $68.75) but you can still buy them on ER. The point is, pay attention to how many PV points are in your cart not the dollar total amount of your order. You need at least 50 PV.

Now remember, this is $50 that you would probably be spending somewhere else like the grocery store, pharmacy or big box stores like Costco, Walmart or Target on things like cleaning products, vitamins, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and more. You have to buy those things anyway! Why not buy them from Young Living where you KNOW the products are safe and non-toxic and get extra money back to spend on goodies for yourself!?

I collect back 25% when buying from YL and at wholesale prices of 24% off already! Target only gives me 5% back when I use their card…. I think we all know who the real winner is here! 😉

If you jump on ER in the next 48hrs, let us know here, and you're getting a special gift from our team, and trust me, you want it. If you're on ER already, please tell our fence sitters why they should jump in by Saturday or comment here to say I did it, so you get your welcome to ER gift!

We’ve given you some ideas already on what to grab (think transfer buying + ER exclusive kits) but here are a few more things to think about getting on Essential Rewards to hit those promo tiers (this month's freebies in comments)...

What's on your order this month or what would you suggest for an ER newbie?

When you go to check out via Quick Order, there will be an option to redeem your ER points! You can use your points on most products with a PV amount that is equal to the dollar amount (as in 10pv/$10). PV points usually equal the dollar amount, so most products on the site are available for purchase with ER points.

There are some exceptions. First, we can't buy with points brand new products that just debuted, even if the PV is the same as the dollar value, but after a period of time (like 6-12 mo's), those new products will also be available for points purchase once they are no longer new and we'll let you know!

Here's the easiest way to find which products can be purchased with ER points: While you’re browsing, look for the little blue flag next to the item’s PV. This is to show you what is eligible for point redemption!

Rewards points cannot be redeemed through your monthly ER order. You buy your monthly ER with cash or credit then you can redeem the ER points earned on that purchase from there.

You will have to place a Quick Order to cash in your points. However, one awesome thing is that you can use points on some items and pay for others! You will need to have enough points to cover a product you’re paying for with points entirely, but then you can add more products to the same cart, and put those (the rest) on a credit card or use PayPal!

Any time you place a Quick Order, cash-in some of your points too since you’re already paying shipping unless you enroll in YL Go, our Amazon Prime-type program, to ship ER and Quick Orders for free!

......................................If you’re not on Essential Rewards yet, tell us, what do you want to save up points to be able to get? Remember the item must have a little blue flag next to it to be eligible and you must have enough points to redeem on that item.If you’re already on ER, I want to know… how many points do you have saved up right now?!

If the idea of getting your oils for free or earning a little extra cash sounds appealing, listen up...Did you know that Young Living has a referral program in place for when your friends sign up for THEIR premium starter kits through your unique link?

YEPPPP!!! And you have the chance to make a little over $50.00 when they do!

If you're loving your oils, share about them. Tell people WHY you love them, and how they're changing your life. When they ask how they cansign up, send them your unique sign up link!!

We are the only team that I know of which offers to create and host for life a custom link for you on our website here: www.orangeyouoiling.com/sign

*Let us know if you want one by including your member # and preferred pic in comments or send me a PM. If no pic is included in the comment and only your member number, I'll use your FB profile pic to set-up your page.

OR you can make your own custom link on the YL website! You can find it by logging in to youngliving.com and following these steps:��Go to Virtual Office > Member Resources > Link Builder, then copy and paste the link that's there and send! (just make sure your member # is in both spaces - Sponsor & Enroller - it should be already)!��Get with your Enroller or Sponsor to learn what you need to do to be eligible for bonuses and commissions and for help with how to share genuinely with friends! Who's on our team already? Raise your hands and tell everyone why you love sharing YL and/or being on our Orange Blossoms team!🍊

Thank you, everyone, for coming!!! See below for giveaway deets!! But first, I hope you all learned so much! We want to celebrate with you as you sign up for ER, so tell us in the comments below once you’ve signed up for your monthly wellness box!

Contact us with ER questions and we’ll work on getting you answers! See y’all soon and thanks again for attending our class. 💗

Welcome to my blog where I hope you will enjoy learning more about essential oils and aromatherapy, in general.

Here, you'll find a growing list of trends and topics to address all of those questions I know you must have or you would not be here. I remember when I first started oiling, I wanted to learn as much as I could. I was like a sponge and I even went to in-person classes in my area at strangers' homes and would often ask myself who am I?!

I was someone who shied away from even hanging out with my dearest friends. I had major social anxiety yet here I was looking up events in my Facebook oil groups and adding them to the calendar. Why? Because once I saw my life change and felt increasingly more empowered as I took charge of my own health, wellness and self-care, I wanted to be a part of this movement, and learn as much as I could, and before I knew it, I was sharing and teaching myself. I continue to enjoy building on my knowledge through at-home experiences, online courses and certifications.

But it's the tribal connections that keep me oiling. I have so enjoyed meeting people just like me who were struggling to keep it together with work, home, and family, and want to continue paying it forward. Here, I'll start with some of the basics such as What is Aromatherapy, followed by my favorite products that I use to support my oily habit!

Enjoy and come back often. I'll update this page frequently and invite you to reach out to me with requests!

Let me guess why you're here. Perhaps you felt like something was missing or you were feeling depleted or wanting to be more empowered when it comes to your own health and well-being and that of your family's. Regardless, I bet you've come to learn that oils are so much more than you ever could've imagined, and if you're not yet aware but curious, we are here today and everyday to share with you all the benefits of Young Living essential oils and why prioritizing self-care with natural products will change your life! And don't forget there are tons of self-serve resources here from searching terms using the magnifying glass to the pinned post for group guidelines and oil safety tips to the Albums + Files sections for recipes and how-to info! So, when and why did you order your kit or why are you inspired to do so soon?

Body + Mind + Spirit

Once you start oiling, your entire world opens up to new possibilities. But why? After all, essential oils don't treat or cure. They aren't the answer to everything. So why have they become such a powerful tool in our toolbox? Because they stimulate and support our body's natural healing process and that can be a powerful thing!

As Aristotle said, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" and holistic recognizes that! Holistic addresses the whole being. Aromatherapy can have the same impact. Perhaps you got your kit because you wanted your home to smell nice then you realized you were sleeping better, which led you to feel better all around. Or maybe you applied an oil to a specific spot that was crying out in need of your attention only to realize that once it was addressed you could focus more on your work, leaving you feeling more productive and fulfilled. Or did you get your kit to support healthy immunities and begin to notice that you were feeling less nervous and stressed, which brought about a more positive outlook and overall balance in your personal life? It's because you're addressing your whole being and it feels good because our natural bodies love natural methods!

For me, it was Lavender. I got the kit because the bottles were pretty and never realized the benefits of aromatherapy, which is the case for many here in the U.S. after years of market saturation with perfume-grade oils. We forgot their holistic benefits! Lavender paved the way for me to right a lot of dominos in my life from constantly feeling tired, overwhelmed and anxious. Once I addressed one issue and felt empowered over it, I was able to peal back that layer and see and address what was underneath. What I came to realize is that I was pretty stressed and fearful under those physical issues. This was HUGE and it freed me up to focus on learning more about oils and holistic methods, which led to me to incorporate meditation into my daily life, which inspired me to study Reiki to help others.

See what I mean about body, mind and spirit? Having oils at my finger tips and taking the time to educate myself on all of their uses and how to use them safely, has allowed me to be more proactive in managing my own health, which gives me peace of mind and makes me feel in control. Oils can be a powerful catalyst to support our body's own abilities, which in turn, can provide us time, energy and inspiration to create more change for the better.

Spritzers & Scrubs

Spritzers and Scrubs are so fun and there are a ton of different options so I'll just go over a few here. Obviously, aromatic spritzers (or sprays) can give you that therapeutic benefit of inhalation without a diffuser or if you're just in a hurry. Sometimes I'll spray around myself and take in a few breaths before I leave the house or I'll spray it in the car or I'll give it as a gift. If I'm traveling, I'll take an empty glass spray bottle with me and then I'll add my oil or synergy of oils into the bottle then add the water so I can smell it first and allow the EOs to combine more easily, as we discussed.

For Aromatic Spritzers, use glass or stainless steal sprays. Fill a 2-4 ounce bottle with water, then add 15-30 drops of your essential oil or synergy of EOs and shake, and be sure to shake every time before use b/c there is no dispersant in there. However, if you have vodka handy, that can make an excellent dispersant. Often times, I don't bother with the vodka and just know to shake every time, but that's up to you! Clearly milk won't keep and honey won't spray, so those aren't good dispersants as they are in a bath!

Now, onto scrubs! OMG there are so many options, but most are salt or sugar based. Both make great exfoliants and you can add carrier oil to the salts or the sugar, although I often leave out the carrier from the salts and let them just be dry with the EOs in there. Chopsticks BTW make great mixers if you're just making the salts or sugar scrubs right in the mason jar (wide mouth is my favorite for pouring), but others like tall jars or the ones that have the metal flip on a glass top that locks into place, old school style. Another option is plastic but PET plastic only as it will be less likely to break down but honestly, I'd use glass or stainless.

In a small glass or metal mixing bowl combine 2 cups of sea salt + 1/2 cup of unscented vegetable oil (almond, apricot, sunflower oil but YL's V-6, almond or fractionated coconut are are fine too!)Add 7-25 drops of essential oil or synergy of essential oils; stir well (total drops based upon EOs used and the strength desired.)

Diffusing can be a powerful way to receive aromatherapy. Three goals of diffusing are to reduce microbes in the air, address emotions, and support the respiratory system.

Extensive research demonstrates how essential oils can aid in the elimination of airborne pathogens. Harris reported that Cinnamon...Rosemary, Eucalyptus and Lemon EOs had been found to prevent the transmission of airborne bacteria...when diffused into the air. Dr. Jane Buckle, a critical care nurse, trained in clinical aromatherapy says, “In the ER we use essential oils such as..Lavender...so [patients] can [calmly] tell us what has happened to them more coherently. We also use Peppermint, Spearmint, and Ginger [for] nausea and...Rose for...distress.” WOW. Amazing!

But what if you're out in the world and you can't diffuse? There are several ways you can access the benefits of aromatherapy on the go including direct inhalation (from the bottle), adding a drop of a single or synergy of oils in your hand then rubbing them together and cupping your hands over your nose and mouth (breath in through the nose, out of the mouth), or packing aromatic inhalers, spritzers, smelling salts or even wearing a diffuser necklace. You can check out my previous posts on these topics or search the group for terms like spritzer, inhaler, etc.

If you're at home, an aromatic bath can be incredibly therapeutic (again, get in the bath FIRST, then add EO-infused salts, honey or whole fat milk to your bath). If you'd like to do a concentrated diffusing, there's tenting with a diffuser (you can buy one through YL's accessories section, it's called the AromaLux/AromaDome Combo) or steam inhalation for stronger sinus and respiratory support (over the sink, eyes closed, towel over your head, a lot like tenting).

For now, please share with us your favorite method of aromatherapy, and what oils you used just today alone!

What's a synergy? A synergy is a combination of essential oils without carrier oil added. Once the carrier is added it's a blend. I know YL calls their undiluted blends BLENDS but this is just not to confuse non-industry people about what they are getting in a bottle as most won't know what synergy means, but blend is pretty understandable. However, I think you guys totally get this difference and may find it of interest to know the aromatherapy terms, so technically, these combos are synergies!Ok, so let's make a synergy. Always use glass. I like 1oz glass droppers because I don't want to have a blend sit too long and I say blend b/c I'm adding carrier oil to dilute in there. So, you have your 1oz bottle and 15 drops is fairly standard for a synergy to which you're going to fill up the rest of the way with carrier and apply to the skin, although feel free to dial that back if you've got some serious oils in there like Oregano for example. If you're just wanting to make a synergy for use in the diffuser, then you'd want to, for example, create a synergy of 100 drops in a 5ml glass bottle (great way to reuse those YL empties), then re-label.So, just make a synergy of Lavender and Stress Away. Now Stress Away is already a synergy of Lavender, Cedarwood, Copaiba, Lime, Ocotea, Vanilla and others, and while these types of pre-made combos created by YL are meant to stand on their own (so don't blend blends/synergies together or it will be absolutely overwhelming), I like to customize my YL blends/synergies sometimes to meet my specific needs. But you see how I'm using a single (Lavender) in the synergy that's already in the StressAway? That way, I'm not adding anything to the StressAway that isn't already in there. So it won't mess with the therapeutic benefits or confuse the synergy and be too overwhelming for me to smell, apply or inhale. I'm just customizing the StressAway, really.I'll want about 15 drops in the 1oz bottle total for a topical synergy so I would probably do 7 drops StressAway and 8 drops Lavender but first SMELL IT, then if I like it, I will fill the rest of the bottle with carrier oil of my choice (YL V-6 oil, Grape Seed, Almond, Avocado, Fractionated Coconut, which doesn't solidify, etc.). If I'd like more Lavender to come through I would just add a couple more drops and smell again, then I'd smell, then I'd add the carrier once I was happy! Leave some room at the top (the neck of the dropper bottle) empty so the dropper can fit without overflowing your oil! Then I would use on my pulse points at night. If I'm making a synergy for my diffuser and therefore not adding carrier oil, I would take my 5ml bottle and add 50 drops StressAway, 50 Drops Lavender. Boom. Now that will sit next to my diffuser for night time awesomeness!Now you make a synergy. The best way to start is to smell those 3-5 oils together to see how it smells together and consider adding more drops of the less prominent ones, and less drops of the stronger ones so they are balanced in the aroma. And let me know how it turns out!

Aromatic Baths

Since ancient times, aromatic baths have been used for their health benefits. Greek physician, Hippocrates, to which the "do no harm" hippocratic oath is attributed employed ‘hydrotherapy’ with aromatic oils and wrote of how baths are essential to good health. And now that we understand from previous class posts the importance of smells to emotion which is connected to physiological health, we can only begin to imagine how specific oil combinations to support both emotions and physical needs can be used in an aromatic bath to give us the best of both worlds!

While I'm sure you're all experts on taking a bath, let me share with you some tips and suggestions on how to safely enjoy an aromatic one! First, make your oily concoction before you get in the bath but do not add it to the bath until after you've gotten in. This is because adding oils even with a dispersant (for dispersing the oils so they don't float around on top and potentially irritate the skin or just not provide the therapeutic benefit work if not completely dissolved into the water), you can imagine how that might then irritate mucus membranes, particularly the most private ones! Examples of dispersants that work well with EOs are: sea salt, epsom salt, honey or whole fat milk. You can use a carrier oil but then it won't disperse.

So, how do we make an oily concoction for an aromatic bath to stimulate or support emotions, relaxation, muscles, circulation, lymph circulation, detoxification, and more? First, pick your dispersant. Let's use Sea Salt in this example because I love sea salt for it's skin softening and detoxing and energetic support (as in I had crazy energy around me today, I'd like to wash it off). One to two cups for a full bath with an adult is recommended. If it's honey or whole fat milk, a couple tablespoons will do w/ the EOs.

Then chose an EO that is going to support what you're looking to achieve. I like Copaiba, Frankincense and Lemongrass because it's a great combo on sore, stiff muscles, they are not too irritating or strong on skin and actually help w/ puffiness and circulation, plus that blend is super meditative and up-lifting. Typically, for an adult, 5 to 10 drops TOTAL of essential oils into a full-body bath is suggested. If it's a more mild EO like Lavender, you can bump that up to 15. But if it's a super strong floral like Jasmine, for example, just a few drops would be sufficient. Avoid EOs that can be dermal irritants like Thieves, Peppermint, Panaway or hot oils like Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, etc. When in doubt, go w/ Lavender!

Now, get in the full bath, THEN pour your concoction in there and move it around to disperse. For kids and other baths like sitz baths (just your bum), let's chat about those in comments if you'd like!

Inhalers & Smelling Salts

Who wants to be one of those Oilers who has it all together, an answer to everything right in your purse, just like Mary Poppins? Inhalers are a great way to be Mary Poppins and act quickly to get the aromatic benefit of essential oils, even on the go! These are fun to make and customize too.

Have you made an inhaler before? I would suggest refillable aluminum or stainless with glass inside and organic cotton wicks, if you can find them as cotton is considered a dirty crop, so it's best to do organic if the sole purpose is to inhale through it. Don't sweat it if you can't find the organic wicks b/c you can always get organic cotton strips and cut them to fit. It's more important that you don't use plastic inhaler tubes and opt for aluminum or stainless instead.

So, how do you make them once you have these materials? Place 25-30 drops of EO or synergy in a small glass or metal bowl. Using an organic cotton pad cut to size, soak up the EO. Place pad into inhaler tube and close the end of tube with cap. Inhaler tube is now ready for use! Use throughout the day, as needed.

Smelling salts are pretty similar. Create a synergy with a total of 20-30 drops using 3-5 EOs that work together aromatically and to achieve whatever benefit you're seeking. Then place in a 10ml glass bottle or roller without the roller on top as many of us have 10ml glass roller bottles, so you may find this is easiest.

Once the synergy (your mixture of desired single oils) is in the bottle, fill the rest up with either fine or coarse sea salts. Then you can waft the bottle under your nose while taking deep inhalations (be sure it's a YLEO that is for aromatic use). This can be done 3-4x a day or as needed.

See Files section for links to inhalers and other pampering accessories (most Amazon Prime).

Soothing Gels

Are you gel'n? Of course you are. All the cool kids do. They are fun and easy to make too and what a perfect pampering tip for Self-Care (I mean Valentines) Day! The base can either be aloe vera jelly or there is a product that's thicker called gelly (I'll update the files section with a link to both). As, I'm sure most--probably ALL--of you know, aloe vera comes from the succulent plant and has been used for centuries as a natural healing agent, immune-enhancer and anti-fungal activity. So, imagine the benefits if you incorporate essential oils allowing those two natural methods to combine and work their magic together!

Essential oil-infused gels can cool, hydrate or even be used on localized areas for angry muscles or puffy veins or minor little zaps from the buggies or toaster oven, for examples. Gels should not be used on serious burns or deep wounds or deep vertical wounds like a c-section. Also, do a spot test to be sure you don't have any allergy or sensitivity to gel and I'd not use it on your face either.

Here's a simple recipe for Summer Sun!

Ingredients:1/2 cup aloe vera gel1 tbsp Witch hazel 5 drops German chamomile essential oil (alternatively, you can add a couple drops of Peppermint if you don't have GC if Peppermint is cooling to your skin, for some it's hot)7-10 drops Lavender EO*you can put this in a glass jar or spray, just add distilled water to create a consistency for the spray

In a glass or metal measuring cup or bowl combine aloe vera gel, witch hazel and EOs. Use a stainless steel whisk to mix ingredients.Add essential oils and whisk until well combined. Enjoy and be sure to label, store in a glass jar and keep in refrigerator! Ahhhhhhh!